Super Tuscan Wine is Done and Bottled...

[indaswamp]

As some of you know, some of my Uncles and cousins are big into making homemade wine. They have been doing this for over 20 years. There are a lot of wine kits out there, but they have found that the most bang for the buck are the Italian wines made with grape skins (Valpolicella Ripasso, Valpolicella Amarone, Super Tuscan, etc....). An Amarone for example can be made for less than $15/bottle and that wine will sell for 5-7X that much. A Super Tuscan can be made for $10-11/bottle and will sell for 3-4X that much.

I have been wanting to learn from them how to make wine, but with my Uncle's recent health issues I have had to postpone it. Well he is finally feeling better and getting stronger with Physical Therapy every week so we kicked it off last week! I am so excited!

The kit- R.J. Spagnole Super Tuscan Wine:

(Stock pic.)


About to open the kit:

The supplies list (they had most of this, I just had to track it down and round it up.)

Tracking the specific gravity...

We plan or doing the first racking tomorrow...

 

[indaswamp]

This kit will make 30-32 bottles of wine. The kit says 8 weeks, but they always let it go 6 months before bottling...

 

[JckDanls 07]

Cool... I'll jump on the golf cart and ride along... Should be interesting ...

 

[pineywoods]

I agree looks interesting

 

[indaswamp]

S.G. dropped below 1.020 today so time for the first racking into the Carboy.

Testing the S.G. and removing the grape skins and toasted oak buttons...

Bubbling away making alcohol!

Added a pack of pectinase enzyme for secondary fermentation and clarification in the carboy.

Will let it go for about another 14 days until the S.G. drops below 0.998...then onto the next step...Still bubbling away!!

 

[indaswamp]

Oh- jcam222 I am saving all the charcoal toasted oak buttons from the wine to add to my next fermented hot sauce. They say the charcoal really amps the flavor creation up big time so I'm gonna give it a go and try it.....

 

[Brokenhandle]

Looks good! So what's the alcohol content gonna end up?

Ryan

 

[sawhorseray]

Brings back some precious memories Keith! My papa made wine from fresh grapes for 20 years with the next door neighbor, they were never happy, always striving for better, had there own little label made. I swiped a couple bottles in high school and got ripped, all I cared about back then, wish I could taste it today. Now I'm pretty much an old man, think of my dad about every day. Papa passed away 43 years ago this month, the love never dies, just grows stronger. RAY

 

[indaswamp]

Looks good! So what's the alcohol content gonna end up?

Ryan

Thanks Ryan! Alcohol will be around 11-12%.

 

[indaswamp]

Brings back some precious memories Keith! My papa made wine from fresh grapes for 20 years with the next door neighbor, they were never happy, always striving for better, had there own little label made. I swiped a couple bottles in high school and got ripped, all I cared about back then, wish I could taste it today. Now I'm pretty much an old man, think of my dad about every day. Papa passed away 43 years ago this month, the love never dies, just grows stronger. RAY

Right on Ray! This wine is a kit wine with pretty much everything included. They do have a few secrets that they do, but follow the recipe pretty much to a T.
I have another Uncle that is retired and works part time at a wine shop just to have something to do. He got a group of wine enthusiasts together and they recently bought 1 ton of grapes, pressed them, and they are now fermenting. Will make 750 bottles when it's all said and done!

 

[pineywoods]

Looks interesting for sure just not a wine drinker. Of course after seeing this thread last night I spent a couple hours looking at wine and spirits making stuff.

 

[indaswamp]

Looks interesting for sure just not a wine drinker. Of course after seeing this thread last night I spent a couple hours looking at wine and spirits making stuff.

It is a neat hobby. Not really a ton of work, just requires a lot of patience and keeping track of the progress...mainly the specific gravity which tells you how far along the fermentation process has gone.
Being a super taster, good wine is really good, but bad wine is even worse! I am very picky when it comes to wine.

 

[sawhorseray]

I have another Uncle that is retired and works part time at a wine shop just to have something to do. He got a group of wine enthusiasts together and they recently bought 1 ton of grapes, pressed them, and they are now fermenting. Will make 750 bottles when it's all said and done!

Wow, that a lot of work! My dad and the neighbor made a couple hundred bottles a year at most to the best of my recollection. I know a few years they were really proud of what they'd accomplished, and a couple they'd just as soon as flushed. I reckon it's pretty much like anything else we do, it could always be just a hair better, even tho it's perfect. RAY

 

[pineywoods]

It is a neat hobby. Not really a ton of work, just requires a lot of patience and keeping track of the progress...mainly the specific gravity which tells you how far along the fermentation process has gone.
Being a super taster, good wine is really good, but bad wine is even worse! I am very picky when it comes to wine.

I think I'd be more interested in spirits even though I have lots of blueberries and can get muscadines around here easy and cheap or free

 

[indaswamp]

I think I'd be more interested in spirits even though I have lots of blueberries and can get muscadines around here easy and cheap or free

Well...Someone in the family is into making clear liquor. And my brother is about to jump off into making craft bourbon. No easy to do for a home producer, but he found a guy on youtube that has it figured out.

Muscadines and blueberries make sweet wines, and whie they are good, that is not the style we are making. This will be a dry full body wine.....with manners and smooth as silk.

 

[Brokenhandle]

My son loves blueberry wine! Have a friend that makes wine...well used to, but he retired from his job. Think he's in Florida now actually. They travel the country going to rendezvous. But his wines were about 18 %

Ryan

 

[sawhorseray]

And my brother is about to jump off into making craft bourbon. No easy to do for a home producer, but he found a guy on youtube that has it figured out.

Bless your brother and his efforts, sounds like he's on a mission from God! RAY

 

[bauchjw]

Wow! Between the cured meats and now wine you’re sitting pretty well for whatever comes! Judging from your cures I’m positive this wind will be pretty incredible!

 

[indaswamp]

Funny Ray!!!!

Oh, he has fallen off deep into it! Gonna drive up to the deer lease in NE Arkansas (base of the Ozark Mountains) and collect spring water to make the bourbon with!!!

 

[indaswamp]

Wow! Between the cured meats and now wine you’re sitting pretty well for whatever comes! Judging from your cures I’m positive this wind will be pretty incredible!

Thanks Jed. The Super Tuscan is one they have dialed in. I will have to count, they have made this wine a lot, having tweaked a few things and got it right where they want it. My Uncle is lead man on this project...I'm learning from him. Good thing is he takes meticulous notes!